Newbie - Organization & Function

[Comfort]

My husband and I are so excited about our new 2013 16' Sport. We have been on a few short trips to nice parks.

I am learning really quickly that bringing only essentials is very important. Our first trip we were moving duffel bags from the dinette to the bed and back multiple times.

Also, I am only 5' and I had the hardest time orchestrating the shower. I really thought I was more coordinated than that. I even went out and purchased a new shower head and sticky thing for the wall. I'm afraid to ask my husband to install it because I don't want to mess anything up.

I did figure out that our puppy can sleep in the little space under the bed. Her bed fits there perfectly and we haven't stepped on her once.

We also went out and bought a cable and lock for our chairs, ice chest and camp table so we wouldn't have to load them in and out every time we went out and about in the truck.

Any advice very helpful.

Thanks!

[Len n Jeanne]

Small is beautiful!

We do the duffle bag shuffle as well. When we're in the Bambi during the day, the bags go at the foot of the bed. At night, one goes under the table and one goes on the dinette bench cum foot of the second bed.

Our dog also sleeps under the bed, unless we run the furnace, then she's sort of in the middle of the floor, ready to be tripped over.

The hot/cold control on our shower is very finicky. We boondock a lot and don't want to fill up our waste-water tank, so the shower strategy is to put one plastic tub on the closed shower seat, and another on the floor to stand in. Take a long a cup. Hose down, letting the excess water run into the tub. Turn off water. Soap up. Rinse with water from the tub, using the cup. Turn on water for a final rinse. Toss out grey water in tubs. We wouldn't bother with this in a site with full hook-ups. But then those places usually have decent shower facilities.

Another issue is getting post-shower moisture out of the Bambi. We reserve in-board showers for hot windy days.

We try to have only one person moving around at a time. The other one sits still or goes outside.

We don't bring appliances and few utensils. We make drip coffee in a plastic cone w/ filter paper and a stainless steel carafe. When feasible we cook outside or bring more elaborate prepared foods from home.

We live in bear country, so any food in a picnic cooler goes back in the truck. We put camp chairs, tables, & firewood under the Bambi or picnic table, or back in the truck at night to stay dry.

Enjoy your Bambino!

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by Comfort

My husband and I are so excited about our new 2013 16' Sport. We have been on a few short trips to nice parks.

My Interstate is about as tiny, in terms of floor and cabinet space. You'll manage. I do.

We also went out and bought a cable and lock for our chairs, ice chest and camp table so we wouldn't have to load them in and out every time we went out and about in the truck.

Most campgrounds, you don't need to do that. Your neighbors also have stuff that they leave out, and the Golden Rule is well in force. They don't want anyone to steal from them, so they don't steal from you. However, if you camp in places readily accessible to people other than fellow campers (at the beach, etc.) then secure everything that you don't want to lose.

If you leave your ice chest out, and it contains anything but sealed soft drinks and beer, weight down the lid. At DeGray Lake State Park in Arkansas last year, I watched a raccoon open an ice chest and help himself to some of the goodies inside. Luckily not my ice chest, though! Unfortunately, weighting the lid won't help against bears. In bear country, you don't even want to leave the grill out, because it smells like food, too.

Originally Posted by Len n Jeanne

The hot/cold control on our shower is very finicky. We boondock a lot and don't want to fill up our waste-water tank, so the shower strategy is to put one plastic tub on the closed shower seat, and another on the floor to stand in. Take a long a cup. Hose down, letting the excess water run into the tub. Turn off water. Soap up. Rinse with water from the tub, using the cup. Turn on water for a final rinse. Toss out grey water in tubs. We wouldn't bother with this in a site with full hook-ups. But then those places usually have decent shower facilities.

If you ever need to manage with even less water, here's a tip. Wet down with a sponge rather than hosing down. Then soap down, rinse again with a sponge. I've managed to bathe even my size XL torso with just half a gallon of water that way. But then again, being bald, I didn't need extra water to wash/rinse my hair, either.

Another issue is getting post-shower moisture out of the Bambi. We reserve in-board showers for hot windy days.

I got this tip from a book on sailboat maintenance… Wax the shower stall. I use Turtle Wax Ice in my wet bath, and wax everything but the floor about twice a year. Water just beads up and rolls down the walls. Makes for very easy cleanup. And since it's hard to get the shower floor exactly level in both directions, I use a squeegie to get any residual standing water out of the corners and to the drain.

We don't bring appliances and few utensils. We make drip coffee in a plastic cone w/ filter paper and a stainless steel carafe. When feasible we cook outside or bring more elaborate prepared foods from home.

I use a Cobb Grill to cook outside. It's small, packs easily. Sometimes annoying to clean up (depending on what was cooked), but the whole thing can go in the dishwasher when I get back home.

For cooking inside, one small skillet, one small pot/steamer, a small teakettle for when I need hotter water than what comes out the tap, and a four-quart Crock-Pot as the one-and-only appliance.

[polarlyse]

We also find little need to "secure" our outside stuff. A generator would be the exception to that though. When I carry mine it's in the back of my truck and I can run it from there. I do keep it chained even in the truck. Look around in most any campground and you will see that others do the same. If bad weather is in the wind I put them inside.

[Ahab]

Having had sailboats most of our adult lives we do well in confined spaces. Since I did a stint aboard a conventional submarine, the "sub shower" is second nature and the DW learned quickly. We use a stainless French press for coffee so no need for filters. We keep weight down by buying provisions locally which gives us a chance to try different foods/drinks etc. Fortunetly our coach is large enough we don't need to do the duffle shuffle.

[AldeanFan]

When camping in our 13' Trillium (fiberglass egg) we find plastic totes to be our best friends!

They are easy to move around, in and out of the trailer and around the site, and they are mostly waterproof. Many of our items get packed in totes and they can be used to store items outside once set up. Out of site of thieves. It also keeps us well organized.

One trick I picked up during my backpacking and wilderness canoeing days is to plan your gear around each trip. In the Airstream we have room to bring along things we may or may not need. In the Trillium we don't have the room for anything that will not be used. For example if we're not eating soup on this trip we don't need a soup pot or soup bowls! Last trip we discovered our collection of interesting coffee mugs had grown to 14! that's a lot of cups in a trailer that sleeps 4 uncomfortably.

Backpacking stores often have good quality items that store very small such as nesting bowls and pots, or pots and pans with folding handles.
Also, don't be afraid to get creative in where you store your gear. Just because it's used for cooking doesn't mean I has to be stored in the kitchen area. In a 13' trailer your pretty much always in the kitchen/bedroom/living room, I guess it's open concept . Our pots go in a drawer under the front bed not in the kitchen cupboard.

Have Fun!

[Len n Jeanne]

Gosh, Comfort! We've been Bambi-ing for 5 & a half years now, and just picked up some good new tips!

Re: bathing. Sponge baths are a reasonable alternative. When it's feasible to shower, however, we can see why they were invented.

We bought two sun showers last year for desert camping. Despite getting some decent ones, we found they didn't heat up as much or as fast as we would have liked. However, this was in February-March, so for a hot summer's day they would probably heat up a lot better.

We never lived aboard a boat, but as former backpackers we rely on some of the ideas of compact, ultra-light camping. With a 6-foot truck bed with a cap on it, we do have room for a lot of gear. The trouble is that anything packed too far forward gets to be a huge hassle to reach it. The stuff might as well stay home if it's too troublesome to get at.

Protagonist, that wax idea is really intriguing! You allude to another problem, which is that unless the Bambi is parked level or sloping slightly towards the drain, there is a lot of ponding of water on the bathroom floor.

We enjoy camping in wilder places, where a run to the store isn't always feasible. Another one of our "rules" is that if we truly rely on something, we do try to bring along some sort of back-up or duplicate, in the belief that Murphy of Murphy's Law was an RVer.

[Scott J-24]

Originally Posted by Len n Jeanne

..... We bought two sun showers last year for desert camping. Despite getting some decent ones, we found they didn't heat up as much or as fast as we would have liked. However, this was in February-March, so for a hot summer's day they would probably heat up a lot better.....

Back when I tent camped, sun showers were a fantastic luxury. And, like you, we found that sometimes they wouldn't heat up as much or as fast as we would like, particularly if it was cloudy or there was too much shade on our site. I quickly learned that you can partially fill the sun shower with cold water and top it off with HOT water by heating a pot of water on the camp stove. Suddenly we had an almost unlimited amount of hot water for showers.... Problem solved.

[Frank's Trailer Works]

We have never locked our gear up. I thought Texans more respectful of personal property.

[cwf]

Originally Posted by 62overlander

We have never locked our gear up. I thought Texans more respectful of personal property.

"Git a rope, and hang 'em high from the old oak tree for all the world to see. " Willie Nelson...

[DKB_SATX]

Originally Posted by 62overlander

We have never locked our gear up. I thought Texans more respectful of personal property.

During the time we've enjoyed our Argosy we've camped a lot in Texas. The only thing I bother to secure is the generator when we take it (generally cabled in the bed of the truck) and nothing has ever gone missing.

I appreciate Protagonist's comment about beach camping, though... it might not have occurred to me that not all the people around are campers.

[Comfort]

Thanks for all the great idea and suggestions. I'm not so worried about theft at a camp ground more like the beach or the beautiful rivers here in Texas.

[Comfort]

Oh yes, I forgot to mention the "sham-wow" I ordered from Amazon sucks up all the moisture in the wet bath quickly and easily

[BAAMbi7]

We keep our clothes in the his and hers above the bed as well as the closet. The closet has a hanging shoe bag where we roll our additional clothes. 2 heavy fleeces hang on hangers int e space left over. I got great mini shelves that fit perfectly in the front bottom of the closet. Pots, cups, teapot above the sink. Food above the cooktop. misc under the sink in square containers. The drawers has container with silverware etc and the two plates sit right on top.
Extra washcloths, books and games above the dinette and containers with misc on the other side.

This trip we kept the dinette down in hopes of eating outside which worked out great! It was a terrific space to hang. We have two see-through boxes with extra dry food which stayed underthe dinette with a bag for dirty laundry. Then we finished some food in the one box, the laundry got transfered in.

I bought a bedtray on legs (ikea) when we ate inside because it was a little too hot outside. It was big enough for two plates. Perfect!

The drawer under the dinette has a show box with misc, lysol wipes, suntan lotion, black tank "pellets"/powder and small inverter.

The hampers in the bedroom hold extra sneakers, slippers for cold mornings, small blanket, our rain clothes, public shower shoes, and anything else. I use see-through zipper linen bags I've saved.

We never ever access the underbed storage for the inside. It's strictly an area for all the other stuff: the sterlite boxes that came with the Bambi filled with the hoses, cables, bbq equip; two chairs, roll up table, little folding steps tool, chucks, toolbox, awning thing, leveler pipe.

A few thing i love:

Target: 14x5x5 fabric covered for on top of the side bolsters: his and hers
Suction cup siler holders - one over the cooktop on the wall and one in the bathroom
Target - 12x12x12 box for stuff kept right next to the heater ( to be moved when it's on. ( we dont have a dog)
Toilet rug fits perfect on the bathroom floor. Removed during when showering
Metal suction cup small - put right above our head in the bedroom to stash glasses ! the arms slide right through the metal openings.

BTW - we have two corelle bowls and two plates,2 metal pint cups - klean canteen, 2 insulated lidded cups ( rep) 4 knives, 4 forks, 4 spoons, covere Kuhn rikon nikes - 2 sizes and small service cooking utensils ( kid size from cooking stores are great size!)

I love sharing and learning new things!

[Len n Jeanne]

comfort, I'd never heard of a sham-wow but it looks useful-- esp. in a place like BC where we can get lots of rain. (We're not on the coast, but a lot of it heads inland 3 seasons of the year.)

BAAMBi7-- Wow! I can see we've been wasting a lot of the space we do have.

One thing we put in the cupboards above the bed are sleeping bags. Extra comforters would work just as well. Since the dog generally sleeps under the bed next to the furnace, they get us through some cold nights without supplementary heat. We also figure that the dog blocks the draft through those bottom cupboard doors. (Australian cattle dog/German shepherd mix.)

We don't put any household items in that outer back storage space either. It's too full of hoses, extention cord, hitch when we're not towing, &c.

We do insist on carrying six wine glasses. Real ones. You never know when you might need them for neighbouring campers, family, or fellow Airstreamers.

[BAB]

I did the "if I didn't use it in the past year, take it out of the trailer" routine, and I highly recommend this process. (I have a niece who's a professional organizer and that's the secret to clutter reduction.) Some of the "neat" things I bought thinking they'd work well really didn't (like a bunch of pots and pans). I found I only needed half of what I'd bought. Corelle is great, and I confess to using Chinet once in awhile. Also, provision as you go rather than haul stuff. I am amazed that I rarely use canned anything -- except pork and beans. I have FOUR hanging lockers. Use just one for a couple of jackets. The others hold a Dyson fan, a water carrier and other sundry (but lightweight) extras. Since I solo, I really do take a (fairly) normal shower...it's a luxury that I really value. Oh, and on a four week trip out west this spring I ate only ONE meal in a restaurant. Buy food locally and cook it myself the way I want it!

[cwf]

We added something... DW found collapsible wine glasses. The stem unscrews ad snaps into the glass itself!!!!

[BAAMbi7]

We have those glasses, too! but rarely take them out. In a 16' we make choices. I obviously don't care what I drink in,, but would miss not having scrabble and Yahtzee. In small spaces we make choices that we normally wouldn't need to make with 15 extra feet. It's fun to see how we squeeze what we need in such a little trailer! Lets keep sharing! I'll send pictures !

[Comfort]

Originally Posted by BAAMbi7

We keep our clothes in the his and hers above the bed as well as the closet. Metal suction cup small - put right above our head in the bedroom to stash glasses ! the arms slide right through the metal openings.

We are headed out tomorrow for a two day quick trip. I'm excited to try out all these new ideas. I have already cleared out the his and hers above the bed that once held way too many toiletries and replaced them with his and hers clothing. Much better idea!

I went through the entire kitchen and this is what made the cut:
Above: 2 Insulated cups for every day drinking (water, margarita's, etc...), two coffee cups, paper plates, small pyrex dish (for cooking in microwave), small strainer (i love pasta), small pot, small frying pan, liquid measuring cup.
Cupboard Below: Handi-wipe dish rags, sham-wows (dry wet bath) air freshener, clean-up wipes, small tray (for preparing meat for grill), tiny trash can.
Drawers Below: 4 Knives, forks, spoons, few utensils (i think i can do better and weed out some of these) Tiny trash bags, larger trash bags, zip lock bags, foil.

I'm keeping the food to the left of the dinette and the right holds a few movies and misc. The drawer below the dinette holds games, first aide, flashlight, can koozies, bug spray, misc.

The hooks hold dog leash, cap, reusable bags that zip up really small on a clip.

I moved most toiletries to the medicine cabinet in wet bath and keep 2 towels, 2 washcloths and bath rug in wet bath. I bought a soap holder and stuck it to the wall and also a toothbrush holder and stuck it to the wall (now if I can only remember which toothbrush is mine... green or purple??).

I love the idea of suction cups by the bed to store glasses. I need to look for one of these. I did buy small travel clock (when I wake up I like to see the time) I need to figure a way to mount this. Right now it's perched above the thermostat.

Thanks for all the wonderful ideas! I'll let you know how it goes and maybe try and snap a few pictures.

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by Comfort

I love the idea of suction cups by the bed to store glasses. I need to look for one of these. I did buy small travel clock (when I wake up I like to see the time) I need to figure a way to mount this. Right now it's perched above the thermostat.

Velcro is your friend. Just the thing for your travel clock. You can even mount it to the ceiling over your bed so when you wake up, just look up.

On the subject of Velcro, I put some on my television remote, and stick it up next to the television when I'm not using it so it doesn't get lost.